1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to rack assemblies for mounting items to an exterior of a motor vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to a rack assembly for securing items to a motor vehicle having a liftgate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rack assemblies mounted to motor vehicles are well known in the art. Rack assemblies have been used to mount and secure articles to the exterior of the motor vehicles and are almost as old as the motor vehicle itself. The rack assembly is used to help secure articles in such a manner that they do not shift while the motor vehicle is in operation. In addition, the rack assembly protects the exterior finish of the motor vehicle by preventing the articles being secured thereto from contacting and rubbing against the finish of the motor vehicle.
As motor vehicles get larger with the popularity of the sport utility vehicle, rack assemblies become more and more difficult to load and unload. This is because the height of the sport utility vehicle is typically higher than that of a sedan, station wagon or sport car. The issue of height clearance is greater when the articles being attached to the top of a sport utility vehicle are tall, such as bicycles. A common solution for this problem is to mount the rack assembly to the back side of the sport utility vehicle. This presents problems because access to the liftgate is prevented unless the rack assembly is unloaded and dismounted from the motor vehicle. And there are times when it is desired to access a rear liftgate without unloading or dismounting the rack assembly that covers the liftgate.